Cotswolds experiments with Port casks
English producer Cotswolds Distillery has launched a limited edition single malt aged in Port and Bourbon casks as part of its Harvest series.
Released as part of the distillery’s annual celebration of the English harvest, the fourth edition in the series was named after the ancient Wychwood Forest, near Witney in Oxfordshire.
Other releases in the series have included Golden Wold, Flaxen Vale, and Amber Meadows.
The limited edition was crafted by Alice Pearson, the distillery manager at Cotswolds and one of the youngest female distillers in the UK, at the age of 25. She selected whiskies from a collection of Port and Bourbon casks that had been laid down nearly 10 years ago.
Said to highlight Pearson’s innovative and creative mindset, Wychwood Harvest is the most notable Port cask-matured expression from the distillery since its establishment in 2014.
The whisky presents concentrated notes of dark fruits, such as stewed berries, blackcurrant, and dark fruit compote, complemented by hints of vanilla and peat.
Pearson commented: “We wanted to create a whisky that celebrates the traditions of the farming community, which is bold and expressive.”
The tube of the fourth release of the Harvest series features a farming landscape against a cloudy sky, created by Oxfordshire-based artist Andrea Bates.
Limited to 1,500 bottles worldwide, Wychwood Harvest is offered at 50% ABV and retails for £100 (US$135).
Cotswolds Distillery is recognised as ‘the first’ English whisky distillery to sell 100,000 bottles of single malt globally. The distillery’s whiskies are available in more than 30 markets, including the US, Japan, and Europe.
Dan Szor, founder of Cotswolds Distillery, said: “With the world spotlight on the Cotswolds region and many people relocating here from the US in particular, we feel the time is right to continue our global expansion, not only with our best-selling signature English whisky but also introducing exciting new limited editions.”
Earlier this month, Cotswolds unveiled the first expression in its second Field to Cask series, called Woodlands Farm Whisky and released a Calvados cask-aged single malt as part of its Hearts and Crafts range.
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